


In The Meantime

by slash4femme



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-05
Updated: 2010-03-05
Packaged: 2018-10-28 00:20:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10819794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slash4femme/pseuds/slash4femme
Summary: after Lee's fight with Gaara Kakashi tries to coax Gai out of the hospital.





	In The Meantime

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta'd, sorry guys.

****“Gai, the Chunnin exams are over. It’s late I sent Naruto and Neji home.” Gai doesn’t look away from the small form on the bed and Kakashi sighs inwardly and moves to touch the other man’s shoulder. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“I should have never taught him techniques that strong.”

“So Gaara would have been able to kill him, or at least critically injure him sooner?” Kakashi shakes his head, “this was not your fault Gai.”

Gai’s mouth forms an even thinner straighter line then it has been since he went with Lee to the hospital. He reaches out to touch Lee’s hand where it lies against the white hospital sheets. “I should have stopped them sooner.”

“We all should have, but in the end it was his risk to take.” Kakashi rubs the back of his neck and looks at Lee’s pale form and then looks at Gai. Gai looks desperately unhappy, tired, scared, and like he might start crying again. “Gai,” Kakashi knows Gai isn’t going to takes this well but he has to at least ask, “Are you planning on getting any rest anytime soon?”

“I am resting.” Gai tells him shifting slightly in his chair.

“I meant sleep.” Kakashi tries to makes his voice as gentle as possible, and Gai’s face twists anyway.

“I can’t, he might need me.”

“He’s in a hospital, full of medical nin and doctors” Kakashi presses down hard on the shoulder his hand is still resting on. “There is nothing you can do for him, Gai, not right now and you need to sleep, and you need to come home some time.”

“I can’t . . .” Gai’s eyes are still locked on Lee and Kakashi sighs again.

“I’m going to go get you some coffee, and check on Sasuke.” He makes himself let go of Gai’s shoulder and head for the door.

Sasuke is still sleeping much as the last time Kakashi looked in on him. He gets a cup of coffee and brings it back to Gai. He pulls up a chair and sits next to Gai, and watches Lee sleep.

“If your not going home you need to at least talk to Neji at some point. He’s going to need to train for the finals.” Kakashi finally points out feeling unbelievably tired. It was a bad sign when he became the responsible one.

Gai merely grunts without taking his eyes off of Lee.

Kakashi begins to seriously consider how long he can let Gai stew in his worry and guilt. It wasn’t healthy, it hadn’t been Gai’s fault and it certainly wasn’t doing Lee any good. “Gai, Lee isn’t going to be even conscious until at least tomorrow.” Kakashi says as gently as he can, “Come back home for a couple hours and get some rest and then you can come right back here.”

Gai’s shoulders go stiff and his mouth sets in a straight line, stubborn and unmovable. The silence between them stretches, broken only when the wind picks up blowing through the open window and rustling the curtains. Kakashi finished off the coffee he’d gotten for himself and watched Gai hold his own slowly cooling cup.

“Ok this is ridiculous.” Kakashi finally snaps, “you’re being ridiculous, you’re hurt and scared and I get that, and I know you care about Lee a lot, but you’re not doing yourself any good sitting here staring at him, beating yourself up over actions that were his not yours. Especially when I know you haven’t slept since the exams started.” Gai’s jaw works and Kakashi out of desperation pulls his trump card. “He doesn’t deserve to wake up and find you like this Gai.”

Just like that everything seems to go out of Gai and his shoulder slump, his head droops, and he bites his lip. Kakashi stands up and takes the cold cup of coffee out of Gai’s hands and then gently puts his hands on Gai’s shoulders and guides him up and towards the door. Gai throws one last look at the boy lying on the bed before Kakashi guides him out of the room.

Gai doesn’t say anything on their way to the apartment. He just lets Kakashi lead him, then stands braced against the wall as Kakashi unlocks the door. Kakashi pushes Gai into the apartment then goes to turn on some lights. When Kakashi turns back he finds Gai still standing where he left him, just inside the door, shoulders hunched as if in pain and Kakashi finally does what he’s been wanting to do since the end of Lee’s fight against Gaara. He goes to Gai and puts his arms around the other man and pulls him close pressing his face against the curve of Gai’s neck.

“They told me he . . . he’ll never . . .” Gai chokes up and his shoulders begins to shake and Kakashi holds him tighter.

“Gai . . .”

“I should have . . . I should have . . .” Gai’s voice sounds strangled, his breath is coming in little gasps and his whole body shakes. Kakashi’s eyes widen even as his hands tighten their hold on Gai. He hasn’t seen Gai like this for years, not much really, truly shook Gai.

“Lee’s tough.” Kakashi makes his voice as confident as possible. “He’s tougher now then most ninja will ever be, he’ll find a way to pull through this.” He begins to rub soothing circles against Gai’s back “you both will.”

Gai shudders against him holding onto Kakashi with a grip hard enough to leave bruises. Gai isn’t crying but his whole body shakes and trembles so badly that Kakashi’s afraid they might both fall down. “He looks up to me, he idolizes me, and I . . .”

“You did not let him down, this was not your fault.” Kakashi shakes Gai slightly then hugs him close again. He finally loosens his hold enough to pull back a little; he pulls his mask down and then leans back in to kiss Gai, a quick brush of lips against lips. Gai’s eyes close and he leans into Kakashi, kisses him back, closed mouth and more a plea for comfort then anything else. Kakashi kisses across Gai’s face, kisses his cheeks and jaw and chin before kissing him on the lips again and Gai sighs softly eyes flickering shut for a moment. Kakashi leans against him and takes several long breaths, feeling where his lips brush the side of Gai’s jaw.

He pulls back finally, loosening his hold on Gai enough to guide him the short distance into the bedroom, and pushes Gai’s flak jacket onto the floor. Gai crawls onto the bed and Kakashi climbs on after him curls around Gai, pressing close against the other man’s back. He sighs and finally lets the last few days catch up with him, the exams and the stress of how many of his students-if any-would pass, along with the near crisis of Orochimaru showing up.

He still has to make sure that no one actually killed Sasuke before the kid has time to recover, and then get the training he and Naruto will need for the final part of the exam. For now though, Kakashi closes his eyes. He needs to sleep and to take care of Gai.

“Get some sleep,” he says softly into Gai’s ear, “we can get up in a few hours and go back to the hospital.”

Gai makes a small snuffling noise into one of the pillows and then rolls over to pull Kakashi close. “Thank you.” Gai’s voice is soft and still sounds very un-Gai-like, and Kakashi shakes his head.

“Go to sleep Gai.” He says but pulls Gai tighter against him anyway.


End file.
